City Power suspends services in Alexandra after technician attacked

Regional power utility City Power has suspended services in Alexandra after an attack on one of its employees.

City Power said it is “deeply saddened and outraged“ by the attack on the technician (operator), who was assaulted inside the Alexandra Service Delivery Centre on Tuesday.

Attack

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the technician was responding to a power outage affecting customers along 2nd and 7th Avenue on Tuesday when he was attacked.

“This incident, where our male technician was violently assaulted by protesting residents, is completely unacceptable and represents a gross violation of the rights and safety of our employees. We strongly condemn this criminal action.

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“Effective immediately, we are suspending all services in Alexandra until further notice. No employees will be dispatched to work around Alexandra until law and order are restored and workers safety can be guaranteed,” Mangena said.

Fear for safety

Mangena added that several City Power employees have been affected by the incident, especially the technician who was attacked shortly after clocking in for work.

“An angry mob stormed our gates, damaging vehicles and beating up the technician who was in the office at the time. City Power will be providing psychosocial support to the technician and other colleagues who are still traumatized by the events.

“Most of the colleagues at the Alexandra SDC have expressed serious concerns for their safety. While we respect the community’s right to protest, we urge residents to consider the implications of their actions. The demonstration that took place today, which involved burning tyres, blockading most roads, destroying property and violently attacking innocent people, only exacerbated the ongoing power supply challenges,” Mangena said.

Services impacted

City Power’s operations have been severely impacted by the heavy rainfall in parts of Johannesburg, which has flooded some roads and damaged electricity infrastructure.

This after the South African Weather Services (Saws) issued a Yellow Level 5 warning for disruptive rain that could lead to flooding.

Mangena said their technicians have been working tirelessly to address the disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions, which has delayed responses.

“We call upon law enforcement authorities to take immediate action to restore order in the area. The blockades and violent protests across the township must cease, and those behind them must be brought to book.

Call for action

“We demand swift arrests of the perpetrators and urge the South African Police Service (Saps) to increase their presence around our service delivery centre to prevent further incidents and protect our infrastructure,” Mangena said.

Mangena said while City Power remains committed to delivering services, services will remain suspended until further notice.

“We strongly encourage community members to assist in identifying the perpetrators of this attack. We regret the consequences of this decision, but we were left with no other option,” Mangena said.

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